The Perfect One
by Nate Grey
Summary: Daisuke tells Hikari how he feels. Her response is unusual, but so are the methods of the person who tries to cheer Daisuke up afterwards. Complete.


Disclaimer: All characters belong to their respective owners.  "The Perfect One" and "Miserable" are written and performed by Lit (one of my favorite bands!).  

Notes: I feel sorry for Daisuke.  I mean, he gets to work with Hikari, but she doesn't like him or doesn't know he's alive.  That's gotta hurt.  Anyway, I thought I'd write this to show that Daisuke isn't a bad person...he's just a guy hopelessly in love...and that almost always hurts, as you'll see.  I know people usually use couples in their summaries, so I'll say this.  Ultimately, I guess its Takari.  But there are Daikari moments, and the whole thing really is about Daisuke.

Summary: For every dreamer, there is one solitary person who is, in a word, perfect.  Daisuke believes he's found his, but fate has other plans…

~These~ are thoughts.

The Perfect One

A Digimon 02 Fanfiction by

Nate Grey

XMAN0123@aol.com

As usual, Chibimon woke up to the sound of loud music.  He sighed, his eyes traveling up to the poster above the bed.  It was actually a wallet photo of Hikari, blown up by about a thousand.  Daisuke had begged Miyako to do it on her computer, and she had reluctantly agreed.  Apparently, she didn't think Daisuke's fixation with Hikari was healthy, either.  But she had never seen Daisuke's room.  If she had, she would've known that calling it a 'fixation' was a huge understatement.

There wasn't a square inch of space on the walls that didn't have something to do with her.  Daisuke had converted his entire room into a live-in scrapbook of Hikari memorabilia.  There were photos, badly drawn sketches, a few paintings, and even a few newspaper articles from when she had won the city science fair.

No, Daisuke wasn't fixated on Hikari Yagami.  He was obsessed with her.

Chibimon never complained, though.  He never told anyone about Daisuke's room, or broke his partner's trust.  That would be wrong.  Still, this was getting out of hand.  Daisuke was even starting to smell like Hikari.  Chibimon hadn't been sure how, until he found a bottle of what he assumed was Hikari's favorite body lotion tucked inside the dresser.

Then there was the music.  Daisuke had no idea what Hikari listened to, but he listened to the same CD every single day, and only to one song.  "Perfect One" by Lit.  Chibimon knew the words, but he was sick of them.  With a grunt, he crawled out of bed and walked over to the desk, where Daisuke was working on something.

~Probably another drawing of Hikari,~ he thought to himself.

He was right.  This one was of Hikari holding Tailmon.  "Daisuke?" Chibimon asked.

Daisuke didn't look up.  He kept drawing, as the song started for the third time that morning.

_I'm an ordinary man_

_With an ordinary life_

_Does she know that I'm alive?_

_Man, she's really something else_

_You're the perfect one_

_And I don't expect a thing from you at all_

_You're the perfect one_

_And I can't even breathe…_

"Earth to Daisuke!  Hello in there!  DAISUKE!"

Daisuke glanced at him.  "Not now, pal.  I'm busy."

_You are so unpredictable_

_Some…times _

_I'd like to be that way_

_Your…charms, so irresistible_

_You are…really something else_

_You're the perfect one_

_And I don't expect a thing from you at all_

_You're the perfect one_

_And I can't even breathe…_

"Daisuke, this is important!" Chibimon insisted.

Daisuke didn't bother to look up.  "You know I hate to be bothered while my song's playing."

_I get weak when she's around_

_I can't speak when she's around_

_Yeah, she turns me upside down_

_Man, she's really something else_

"Daisuke, you've got to stop torturing yourself like this!  You know Hikari isn't interested in you!"  ~And from what Tailmon told me, she likes Takeru better, anyway…~

Daisuke looked thoughtful.  "You're right, buddy.  I should stop doing this."

"That's the spirit!"

Daisuke stood up and walked over to the bed.  "I'm gonna stop fooling myself.  Hikari doesn't know how I feel.  So I'm gonna tell her."

"What?!  Daisuke, NO!  You can't-"

Before he could finish, Daisuke spun around and yelled in time with the music.

_Yeeeeeeeeeah!_

_You're the perfect one_

_And I don't expect a thing from you at all_

_You are everything_

_That I never knew I've always wanted_

_You're the perfect one_

_And I don't expect a thing from you at all_

_You're the perfect one_

_And I can't even breathe…_

_I'm an ordinary man..._

Daisuke grabbed his backpack.  "Thanks for the advice, pal!  C'mon, we gotta get to school!"

Chibimon sighed and crawled into the backpack.  It was going to be a very long day for them both.

* * * * *

Takeru had only been late for school a few times in his life.  This morning was one of those times.

"Patamon, why didn't you wake me up when the alarm clock went off?" he asked his hat.

"You looked so peaceful.  It just seemed cruel to do it."

"Well, next time, do it, please.  I'll get in trouble if I'm late for school."

"Really?  What happens if you're on time?"

"Nothing."

"If you're early?"

"Uh…I have to stand outside and wait for it to open?"

The hat made a grunting noise.  "That's not fair!"

"Neither is life.  Now pipe down or people are going to wonder-"

"Who are you talking to, Takeru-kun?" a familiar voice asked.

Takeru looked up to see the only girl he'd ever really had feelings for.  Romantic ones, anyway.  Sure, he'd blush every now and then when Mimi came to visit, but so did Taichi and Yamato.  It was only natural, or so they told him.  "H-Hikari-chan!  I…um…was talking to…uh…"

"Me!" the hat announced, bouncing on his head.

Hikari giggled, giving the hat a little pat.  "Hi, Patamon.  Maybe you shouldn't be talking when you're supposed to be a hat, though."

"Hey, where's Tailmon?" Takeru asked, trying to keep his hat from waving at Hikari.

"Oh, I left her at home…which probably means she's following me, so I'd say about a block away.  Don't worry, she can take care of herself."

* * * * *

Actually, Tailmon wasn't following Hikari this morning.  She was still asleep at home, curled up in a very comfortable ball on her partner's bed.  At least, until Hikari's mother came in.

"There you are!  I've been looking for you."  Hikari's mother picked up Tailmon and stroked her back.  "I can't get over how precious you are!"

Tailmon slowly opened one eye.  ~Oh, great.  There goes the catnap I had planned.~  Hikari's mother was nice, but she had a bad habit of talking to cats.  Unfortunately, there was only one cat she felt like talking to, even when Miko was around.

"Guess what?" Hikari's mother asked.  "Taichi's home from college!"

Tailmon opened both eyes.  ~Taichi's back?  I should go see him.~

"Want to go see him?  I bet he'd like to see you again."

~At least she isn't trying to give me a bath again…~  Tailmon decided on a cute little "Meow!" and widened her eyes a bit.

"Oh, how CUTE!"  Hikari's mother rubbed her head and walked toward Taichi's room.  "Taichi!  Someone wants to see you!"

Taichi came out of his room.  "Who is it, kaa-san?  I didn't hear the doorbell."

Tailmon leaped onto Taichi's shoulder as soon as he was close enough and made a big scene of rubbing against his cheek.

Taichi was obviously a little surprised, but tried not to let on.  He reached up and patted her head awkwardly.  "Hey, er…you.  Nice to see you, too."

His mother smiled.  "I'll leave you two alone."  She turned and headed for the kitchen.

Taichi quickly returned to his room and closed the door.  "Okay, that was weird."

"Very, but she thinks I'm cute, so I have to act that way."  Tailmon hopped to the floor.  "So how long are you back for?"

"About three weeks," he replied, transferring some clothes from his suitcase to the drawers.  "Seems like a lot more when I have to unpack, though."

Tailmon decided not to beat around the bush.  "I think Hikari's sick."

"Sick?"  Taichi turned to look at her, a concerned look on his face.  After the last few times, he never wanted to even think about his kid sister being sick again.  "What's wrong with her?"

"Well, that's the thing.  She's only sick at certain times."

"Like when?"

"When she's alone with Takeru, or when she's alone in her room, or when she's alone anywhere else."

Taichi stared at her blankly.  "I assume you mean she's alone with you."

"Right."

"Well…what makes you think she's sick?"

Tailmon frowned.  "Her cheeks get really red, and she starts swooning.  Sometimes she even makes these little noises."

"Noises?" Taichi asked, barely able to keep a straight face.

Tailmon blew a little air out of her mouth.  "Like that."

"That's a sigh, Tailmon.  I don't think Hikari's sick."

"She isn't?"

"No.  Does she usually start to swoon right after she's been around Takeru?"

"Now that I think about it, yeah!  Did she catch something from him?"

"Not really."  Taichi grinned.  "It sounds like Hikari's in love."

"She's stuck in something?"

"No, no.  She…how can I put this…she REALLY likes Takeru."

"I don't get it," Tailmon said.

Taichi chuckled nervously.  "Well, maybe I'm the wrong one to explain this to you."

"Why?"

"Uh….you see, Tailmon…girls and boys are different."

Tailmon rolled her eyes.  "I know THAT already."

"Well, in our world, opposites attract, and so do girls and boys.  Um…that's human nature."

"But why Takeru?  How come she only likes him?"

Taichi thought for a moment.  "When a girl finds one guy that she really, really likes, she usually acts the way Hikari does.  I don't know why, I guess that's human nature, too, for girls."

"So what's going to happen?" Tailmon asked.

"I don't know.  That's the funny thing about liking someone.  They might feel the same way, and they might not.  It's a pretty big risk, usually…but in this case, I think we're headed for a happy ending."

"Oh.  So everything's okay then?"

"Yup."  Taichi looked thoughtful.  "Anyway, if Takeru does manage to mess this up…"

"We'll mess HIM up," Tailmon growled, lashing her tail around.

Taichi grinned.  "My thoughts exactly.  This is going to require some very talented spying.  You up for it?"

Tailmon grinned.  "Definitely.  What do I do?"

"Just keep an eye on Hikari, especially when Takeru's with her.  And trust your instincts.  If you feel like something's wrong, it probably is.  But DON'T jump to conclusions.  If you suspect something, you tell me and I'll take care of it."

"Maybe we can get Daisuke to help.  I know HE likes watching Hikari."

Taichi laughed nervously.  "Actually, I don't think that's such a good idea…"

"Why not?" Tailmon asked, looking confused.

"Well, see, Daisuke really, REALLY likes Hikari, but so does Takeru."

"Oh.  That's not good, is it?"

Tai sighed.  "Not for Daisuke, it isn't…"

* * * * *

As usual, Daisuke wasn't paying much attention in math class.  Between throwing glances at Hikari and jotting down things he planned to say to her at lunch, he was pretty busy.  He'd conveniently forgotten the fact that he was a terrible math student.

~Okay.  So I walk up to her, smile real big, and say something…funny?  Yeah, she should be in a good mood when I tell her.  But…what if she's already in a good mood, and she doesn't get the joke?  Then she'll just think I'm weird and stupid.  Okay, so I smile and say, "Hikari-chan!  Great to see you!  You look nice today!"  No, wait.  Then she'll think that I think she doesn't look nice every other day.  ARGH!  What do you say to a girl that's perfect?!~

"Daisuke?  Daisuke, you in there or what?"

Daisuke blinked and looked up to see Miyako standing over him.  "Huh?  What?"

She shook her head.  "Class is over, Dai-kun.  Why are you still sitting here?"

Daisuke blinked and looked around.  Sure enough, the other desks were empty.  Even the teacher was gone already.

"I guess you dozed off again…which means I'll be helping you with today's lesson after school, I assume."

Daisuke grinned sheepishly.  "Heh heh…you're the best, Miyako!"

"Yeah, sure."  Miyako crossed her arms.  "Anyway, you're going to be late for lunch."

"What?!  NO!"  Daisuke zoomed past her and vanished into the hallway.

"Daisuke?!  DAISUKE!  You forgot your books again…!"  Miyako sighed in frustration.  "Guess I have to be nice and give those to him after school, too."  She groaned and began to gather the forgotten books.

* * * * *

Hikari was almost done with her lunch when there was a loud thump next to her.  She looked down to see Daisuke sprawled onto the floor, groaning in a combination of pain and embarrassment.  "Daisuke…?"

Daisuke slowly got up.  "Ugh…"  He noticed Hikari looking at him.  "Oh!  Hikari-chan!  What a surprise meeting you here!"

Hikari blinked.  "Right.  Especially since you know I sit here every day.  Are you feeling okay, Dai-kun?"

"Great, I feel great!  But, uh, now that you mention it, there IS something I've been meaning to tell you."

"Well, can it wait?  The Photography Club's meeting in five minutes, and I'm about to be late."

Daisuke looked extremely disappointed.  "Oh.  You'd better go, then."

Despite the fact that leaving couldn't have made her happier, Hikari did hesitate when she saw the look on Daisuke's face.  ~He's trying so hard to be nice to me.  It wouldn't be right to just leave him.~  "If it's really important, you could tell me after school.  Takeru and I were planning to go to the Digital World then, so you can just meet us in the computer lab."

Daisuke didn't look as bad as before, but there was still a hint of sorrow in his voice.  "I was kinda hoping I could talk to you in private.  I didn't want anyone else to hear it."

"Takeru did say he had to talk to one of his teachers, so he'll be a little late.  It'll just be the two of us until he gets there."

Daisuke's face lit up.  "Really?  Great!  I mean, uh…that'll work!  Thanks, Hikari-chan!"

"Anytime."  Hikari picked up her bookbag and started to leave.  She paused, and then turned back to him.  "Um…Dai-kun?"

"Yes, Hikari-chan?" Daisuke asked, grinning at her.

Hikari shook her head.  "Nothing.  Just…"  She reached over and patted his arm.  "Promise me you'll get some rest, okay?  You look like a nervous wreck."

Daisuke nodded rapidly.  "Sure!  I'll do that!"

Hikari gave him one last lingering glance before hurrying away.

Daisuke sighed happily and stared at his arm.  ~She…TOUCHED…me!  And she told me to get some rest!  She's WORRIED about me!  And later today, I finally get to tell her how I feel!  Can this day GET any better?!~

Suddenly, something occurred to him.

~YES!  Hikari…she might…SHE MIGHT SAY SHE LOVES ME!~

Daisuke let out a joyful whoop and ran out of the lunchroom, his hands raised to the sky.

Meanwhile, at another table, Miyako ducked her head.  "NO, that was NOT my friend Daisuke, Mai!  I've never seen that crazy guy before!  Sheesh!  Let it go already!"

* * * * *

Takeru had just left his teacher's office when something landed on his shoulder and covered his eyes.

"Guess who!" a familiar voice demanded.

Takeru hesitated.  "Tailmon?"

"Aw, how'd you know?" she asked, releasing him.

He chuckled.  "To be honest, you smell like Hikari."

Tailmon looked mournful.

"Don't worry, it's a GOOD smell.  Like strawberries and cream."

Tailmon brightened instantly.  "Oh.  Okay."

Takeru reached into his pocket and pulled out a candy bar.  "Here, I got this for Patamon, but I guess you can have it since you found me first."

"Oh, wow!"  Tailmon snatched up the candy bar.  "Thanks, Takeru!"  She brushed his cheek with her tail fondly.  "I knew I was right making you my third favorite human!"

"Third?" he asked.

She nodded.  "Taichi sneaks me desert under the table when nobody's looking."

"Well, I'd do that if you ever invited me over."

"I'll mention it to Hikari later," Tailmon promised, stuffing the entire candy bar in her mouth.

Takeru chuckled.  "Glad you liked it.  C'mon, Hikari's waiting for us."

* * * * *

Daisuke took a few deep breaths before focusing on the computer screen.  "Hikari, the reason I wanted to talk to you is…"  He frowned and shook his head.  "Hikari, I think it's time I told you…"  He grunted and started again.  "Hikari, I'm just gonna come right out and say this…"

"Say what?" Hikari asked from behind him.

Daisuke shrieked and spun around.  "Hikari-chan!  You're early!"

"Oh," Hikari said slowly.  "Um…what were you doing just now?"

Daisuke grinned nervously.  "Just now?  Oh, nothing, really…"

"Then why did it seem like you were talking to me?"

"Er…I…that is…um…MIYAKO!"

"Huh?"  Hikari blinked and turned to see Miyako in the doorway, an equally confused look on her face.

"Did I do something wrong?" Miyako asked slowly.

"NO!  No," Daisuke said quickly.  "It's just…you don't have them!"

"Have WHAT, Daisuke?!"

"The…the SNACKS!  For the Digimon!"

Miyako stared at him.  "And you're really, really upset about that…?"

"It's…well…V-mon…he LOVES your snacks, and…and…I'd hate to disappoint him…"

Miyako sighed heavily.  "Okay, Dai-kun.  If you REALLY think V-mon will be THAT devastated, I'll go get some things from my family's store.  But DON'T go to the Digital World without me!"

"We'll wait," Hikari assured her with a nod.

Miyako threw Daisuke a frustrated look before dropping his books on a desk and hurrying out.

"Now you're just acting weird," Hikari declared, facing Daisuke again.  "What's with you, Dai-kun?"

"Nothing!  I'm fine, really!" Daisuke swore, trying to ignore the fact that he was starting to sweat.

Hikari sat down on a desk behind her.  "So what did you want to tell me earlier?"

Daisuke swallowed noisily.  "Hikari-chan…we're friends…right?"

"Sure," she agreed, though she sounded wary.  "Why do you ask?"

"Just checking first," Daisuke replied, grinning brightly at her.

Hikari grinned back, and fortunately, Daisuke didn't notice that it was forced.

"Anyway, I've kinda got this…confession to make."

Hikari's face drained of color.  ~Oh no, PLEASE don't let it be drugs.  Or gangs.  Or drugs AND gangs.  Or-~  Her thought process ended as Daisuke's thumb gently brushed her cheek.  Hikari blinked and nearly gasped, wondering how he'd gotten so close without her noticing.  

And then she instantly realized that it was WORSE than drugs AND gangs.

"I'm in love with you, Hikari," Daisuke said quietly, his eyes locked on hers.

Hikari found that she couldn't look away, but it had nothing to do with love.  Daisuke's eyes held a new kind of intensity, one she'd never seen before.  He'd never even looked this way when they battled the Digimon Kaiser.  The thought that he could be this serious about her was almost—no, it WAS—very frightening.

Though it seemed like forever to Hikari, only a few seconds had passed.  Without warning, she realized Daisuke was tenderly cupping her face in his hands, his face dangerously close to hers.  She forced herself to look anywhere but his eyes, and made the mistake of looking at his mouth as he licked his lips.

Either misreading her meaning or acting purely on something deeper than instinct, Daisuke tilted his head slightly and pressed his lips to hers.

Hikari's first instinct was to pull away.  After all, this was Daisuke.  Not Takeru, but DAISUKE.  But Hikari was not and could never be a cruel person.  She knew how much it would hurt her if she kissed Takeru and he jerked away as if she were a venomous snake.  Daisuke had obviously been picturing this moment for a long time, and she couldn't take it away from him.  At least, not yet.  This way, he would always have the one kiss…if nothing else.

So, foolishly, she began to kiss him back.

Hikari only wanted Daisuke to have this one memory, so if things did go terribly wrong when she and Takeru finally got together, he could say he had her for a moment.  She didn't stop to think of how much more it would hurt Daisuke, now that he thought she loved him back.  Indeed, there was no time to think, only to act.

Finally, Hikari broke the kiss, gently and gradually, slowly pulling back to search Daisuke's eyes.  What she found there instantly broke her heart.

Daisuke, hero and unofficial leader of the Digi-Destined, was crying.  He was not sniffling or sobbing like an emotional wreck.  He was just standing there, staring at her, with tears rolling freely and unashamedly down his face.  He didn't even seem to notice that his vision was becoming blurred.

If it were possible to have two hearts, Hikari's second one would've leaped into her throat as she finally noticed Takeru in the doorway, jaw dropped, and face frozen in pure shock.  Tailmon was perched on his shoulder, looking surprised, but also confused, as if she'd just gotten the wrong answer on a test.

Daisuke sensed that Hikari's attention was elsewhere and turned slowly, dreading the worst, but not really expecting it.  Then he caught sight of Takeru and stiffened, as if trying to keep himself from doing something he'd regret.

Takeru recovered first.  He blinked, closed his mouth, opened it, and then closed it again.  Finally, knowing he'd be unable to attempt speech for at least a few more hours, he turned and walked out of the room.

Hikari released the breath she'd been holding, then sighed, knowing she wasn't done yet.  "Daisuke?"

He turned to face her, not smiling, but guarded.  His face looked as if it would either break into a smile or crumble into nothingness based on what she said next.  Hikari hated having that kind of power over anyone, but there was nothing for it.

She took his hands into her own, squeezing gently.  "Dai-kun, I'm…flattered-"  Hikari stopped there.  She'd seen a glimmer in his eyes.  Of what, she couldn't be sure, but she knew that continuing the statement in that manner would not be wise.

She started over.  "Dai-kun…I'm honored…that you feel this way about me.  I don't think I've ever been the object of someone's affection before."  Hikari paused, thinking of what she would say next.  "I care about you…more than I ever realized."

Daisuke did not appear to be breathing, so Hikari thought she should hurry up with it.  "Daisuke, what I'm trying to say is… is…"

"Don't," Daisuke whispered.

Hikari froze.  "What…?"

He pressed a finger to her lips, closing his eyes.  "Don't say it, Hikari.  Please.  Just…tell me why."

Dumbfounded, Hikari blinked and continued.  "I'm in love with someone-"

"Takeru."

"With some-"

"Takeru," Daisuke repeated forcefully, opening his eyes.  He almost looked insulted.

"With Takeru," Hikari admitted after a long moment.

Daisuke sighed, closing his eyes and pressing his forehead to hers.  "Tell him."

Hikari gasped.  "WHAT?!"

"You heard me."

"Daisuke, I don't…what…HOW…?!"

He pressed a finger to her lips again.  "Go after him, Hikari.  Hurry.  Before he does something stupid…like convince himself that he doesn't feel that same way about you."

Hikari's face softened.  "Dai-kun," she whispered, reaching up to press her hand to his cheek.

"Go," he repeated, shaking his head.  "Now."

Hikari hesitated, and then kissed his cheek before hurrying out of the room.

Daisuke slid onto the nearest desk, sighing quietly.

"Um…Daisuke?"

He looked down to see Tailmon climbing onto the desk.  "Yeah?"

She patted his knee.  "That was the bravest thing I've ever seen."

Daisuke smiled sadly.  "Thanks."

"And…just so you know…I think V-mon's lucky to have a partner like you."  She hesitated, then leaped onto his chest and licked his cheek.

Daisuke stared at her, clearly startled.

Tailmon hopped down the floor, grinning hugely.  "Always wanted to do that.  Just once."  Then she scampered out of the room, her tail waving in farewell.

Daisuke sat there for a few long moments, trying to process everything that had just happened.  Inside five minutes, he'd confessed his feelings to the girl of his dreams, kissed her, had her kiss BACK…and then gave it all up so she could chase after some guy who didn't even have the guts to tell her the same.

Yes, this was DEFINITELY a day of progress.

Daisuke sighed heavily, staring at the floor.  "Now what am I supposed to do?"  
  


* * * * *

Jun had just gotten home from "observing" Yamato when she heard the music.

_You make me come…_

_You make me complete…_

_You make me completely miserable_

She sighed and shook her head.  Obviously, her little brother had had about as much luck with Hikari as she'd had with Yamato that night.  And while she never tired of teasing him, Jun knew it was serious.  Daisuke didn't get crushes every month.  She was pretty sure he'd never had one before Hikari, and depending on how it went with her, he might never be the same again.

Mentally making a cease-fire agreement for the night, she headed for his room, humming along with the lyrics.

_Stuck to a chair_

_Watching this story about me_

_Everything goes by so fast_

_Making my head spin_

_Used up all of my friends_

_But who needs them_

_When you mean everything?_

_I love the things that we should fear_

_And I'm not afraid of being here_

_With so much the same_

_It makes me helpless alone_

When she reached his door, Jun knocked softly at first.  "Daisuke?" she called hesitantly.

There was no reply, but volume went up on the music.

Jun rolled her eyes and decided to wait until the song ended before barging in.  He was probably going to be hard enough to cheer up.

_Nothing to share_

_Why should I_

_Care if you're near me_

_Give up all of my plans_

_But who needs them_

_When you mean everything?_

_I love the things that we should fear_

_And I'm not afraid of being here_

_With so much the same_

_It makes me helpless alone_

_Yeah, Yeah_

_You make me come…_

_You make me complete…_

_You make me completely miserable_

_I love the things that we should fear_

_And I'm not afraid of being here_

_With so much the same_

_It makes me helpless alone_

_You make me come…_

_You make me complete…_

_You make me completely miserable_

_You make me come…_

_You make me complete…_

_You make me come…_

_You make me complete…_

_You make me completely miserable_

Taking a deep breath, Jun knocked again.  "Daisuke?  C'mon, open up.  I know you're in there."

"Go away," he muttered.

"I've got cookies!" she said in a singsong voice.  She grinned when she heard his footsteps approach.

"You don't, I can't smell any," he said after a moment.

Jun sighed.  "Daisuke, please let me in," she said softly.  "I promise I'm not here to bug you."

"What do you want, Jun?" he asked warily.

"I can't just talk to my little brother anymore?"

"I'm really not in the mood," he replied firmly.

"I just want to make sure you're okay."  She swallowed.  "I'm guessing things didn't work the way you hoped with Hikari…?"

"Jun," Daisuke snapped.  "I don't feel like talking about her."

"We don't have to talk about her."

"I don't feel like talking about ANYTHING right now."

"We don't even have to talk.  Just let me see you, Daisuke."

"Why?!"

"Because I know how it feels when someone doesn't love you the way you want them to, and I don't want you to hurt yourself because of it."

"What do you care if I'm hurt?" Daisuke muttered.

"I know you don't mean that," Jun said quietly.  "I tease you a lot, but I really do care about you."  As an afterthought, she added, "I could just stand out here and talk to you all night, if you want."

The door opened, and Daisuke poked his head out.  "If you promise not to say a WORD once you're inside, you can come in.  I mean it, Jun."

She nodded sincerely and pretended to zip her lips shut.

Daisuke rolled his eyes, but moved aside so she could come in.

Jun was not prepared for the sight that greeted her.

For one thing, a lot of the Hikari pictures were strangely missing from the walls.  For another, Daisuke's room finally actually seemed like a typical boy's room (without all the pink, anyway).

Daisuke flopped across the bed, narrowly avoiding crushing Chibimon, who dove out of the way just in time.

Jun picked up the little Digimon and placed him on her head for safekeeping.  Then she grabbed a highlighter and a sketchpad from Daisuke's desk.

Daisuke was trying to feign sleep when Jun gently tickled his ribs.  He rolled over to yell at her.

She had written in bright pink on the pad: "R U OK?"

He almost laughed.  "No," he answered after a few seconds.

She quickly jotted down, "CAN I HELP?"

"No," he sighed.

Frowning, she added, "PLEEZ?"

"No, Jun," he said with more force than he'd meant to.

She pouted and scribbled, "I DON'T WANT U 2 B HURT."

Daisuke grunted.  "Yeah, well, neither do I."

Jun brightened.  "LET ME HOLD U."

He scowled at her.  "I'm depressed, not crazy."

She shot him a hurt look.  "I'M SERIOUS."

"So was I.  The answer is still no."

"U DIDN'T USED TO MIND B4…"  Jun gave him a hopeful smile.

"I was a kid then," he muttered.

"U STILL R, BABY BRUDDER."  She grinned at him.

"You can't hug me, Jun."

"Y NOT?  I STILL LUV U…"

Daisuke made a face.  "Ugh.  Stop it."

She looked worried.  "DON'T U LUV ME?"

"That's not the word I'd use."

She threw down the pad, her eyes tearing up.

"Don't look at me like that, Jun.  I've had enough of crying for one day."

Jun picked up the pad and wrote carefully, "I WOOD NEVER HURT U THE WAY SHE DID."

Daisuke bit his lip.  "That sounds like something she'd say…"

"BUT U CAN TRUST ME."

He smirked.  "How do I know that?"

"HIKARI IS 4 NOW.  I AM 4 LIFE."  She turned over the pad and added with a wicked grin, "U R STUCK WITH ME.  THERE IS NO ESCAPE."

"Got that right," Daisuke chuckled. 

"U LAFFED!  I WIN!"  Jun stood up and began to swing Chibimon around in circles.

"Hey, cut it out.  He gets airsick easy."

She handed Chibimon to him, and then picked up the pad again.  "U DO THE 'JUN RULZ' DANCE, OR WE HUG NOW."

"I am NOT doing that dance," he swore.

"THEN ALL UR HUG R BELONG 2 ME."  She held out her arms expectantly.

Daisuke sighed in defeat and stood up.  "Just one and ONLY one."

Jun grabbed Daisuke and hugged him tightly, resting her chin on his head.  

Daisuke closed his eyes.  Actually, it wasn't all THAT bad.  But then he noticed she was slowly leaning forward, forcing him to lean back.  Before he realized what she was up to, they toppled onto the bed together.

He was about to get mad when she hit him in the face with the pad. 

"U R MINE, PIPSQUEEK."

Daisuke laughed.  "Okay, Jun.  You can talk now."

"Did I help?!" she demanded eagerly.

"Yeah, I just don't know how you did," he replied.

"Trade secret," Jun said with a wink.  She tugged him closer and ruffled his hair fondly.  "You're a jerk, but you're my jerk, and I love you.  Jerk."

Daisuke stuck his tongue out at her.  "Love you, too, nee-san."

"I know.  Just don't tell anyone or you'll ruin us both.  Agreed?"

"Agreed."  

"Good.  Now go to sleep, shorty."

* * * * *

It was very late, but Hikari wouldn't be able to sleep without checking on Daisuke first.  She wanted to at least be sure he'd made it home.

The phone was picked up on the first ring.

"Hey, Hikari," said a sleepy voice.

"…Chibimon, is that you???"

"Yup.  You want Daisuke?  He's asleep."

"…is he okay?"

"Oh, yeah.  Great."  Chibimon sounded like he was stifling a yawn.

"Oh.  Well.  Um…could you give him a message for me, when he wakes up?"

"Sure.  What is it?"

"Tell him I'm sor-"  She stopped herself.

"Huh?"

"Tell him I said thank you, Chibimon.  He'll know what for."

"Okay.  Anything else?"

"…are you sure he's okay?"

Chibimon glanced at the bed, where Jun was still curled protectively around her brother.  "Yup," he replied with a grin.  "Sleeping like a baby."

"That's good.  Well…that's all I wanted.  Sorry for waking you up."

"S'okay," Chibimon answered before hanging up.  Then he shook his head.  "They should just lock all the Digi-Destined naked in a room and let 'em mate til they couldn't move.  Then maybe I could get some sleep for once."

The End.

This did NOT turn out the way I expected it to.  Originally, I'd planned for Daisuke to either consider suicide or pursuing a rebound relationship with Ken or Miyako.  I figured Jun would only have a small role, but somehow she just took over when I got to her.  But I can't bring myself to change the title, since that's how I know the story and it fits the first part, at least.  So, ironically, this story will remain far from perfect.  But maybe you liked it, anyway…?


End file.
